Card selecting apparatus



May 12, 1953 o. w. TOEPPER 2,638,098

CARD SELECTING APPARATUS Filed March l, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l WMM/gym May 12, 1953 o, W, TQEPPER 2,638,098

CARD SELECTING APPARATUS Filed MaICh l, 1946 2 Sheets-ShefZ 0770 M. TOI/PEP INVENTOR.

IBY

Patented May 12, 1953 CARD SELECTING APPARATUS Otto W. Tocpper, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Johnson Fare Box Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New York Application March 1, 1946, Serial No. 651,230

9 Claims. l

This invention relates to improvements in card files. More speciiically, it relates to a mechanism by which suitably coded cards can be selectively withdrawn from a le of cards.

l-leretofore an apparatus known as an Electroile or Selectograph and described in patents numbered 1,846,779; 2,002,807; and 2,002,808, issued to John W. Whitson and dated February 23, 1932; May 28, 1935 and May 28, 1935, respectively, has been used to facilitate the ling of cards and withdrawing of selected cards from the le.

Briey, the apparatus comprises a iile which has means for supporting the cards on edge transversely of the le and in groups which are spaced longitudinally of the le. Each card on its lower edge is provided with a row of spaced projections. The cards are individually coded by clipping oir certain of the projections. The cards also have attached to one edge an iron strip or armature.`

When it is desired to select a certain card from the le, the le is placed on a machine which has a plurality of bars arranged to enter the notches between the projections; keys are operated in accordance with the code of the desired card and the corresponding` bars are raised into the notches. An electro-magnet is disposed adjacent the line of iron strips and when this magnet is energized with the bars raised, the card, which has had the projections on the side of the raised bars away from the magnet clipped oi, will be pulled laterally by the force exerted on its armature and will thus be identified and can be manually removed from the iile. All the other cards are held in place by the projections which, being intact, engage the raised bars.

The selected card may be replaced anywhere in the file, since it will respond to the magnet from any position in the le.

Certain dirculties have been. experienced with such apparatus in that the electro-magnet was nxed and in spaced relation with the armatures so that the pull on the card armatures Varied with atmospheric conditions. Further, there was a tendency for all of the cards to tilt if the pull was strong, so that identiiication of the selected card was difcult. Other troubles were experienced which are cured by the invention herein disclosed, which has for one of its objects the provision of a permanent instead of an electro magnet. This eliminates any need for electrical connections and increases the range of utility of the device.

Another object of the invention is the mounting of the magnet so that it can be moved into cont inserted in the machine.

tact or at least very near the armatures of the cards so that the eiect of the air gap s substantially eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for holding the cards, not corresponding to the code, in place while the desired card is being selected.

Still another object of the invention is to pro# vide a magnet actuating mechanism which will both withdraw the selected card laterally and tilt it upwardly about one corner, thus rendering its identification positive.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which will withdraw from the le only thecard which corresponds to the code set up by the keys and bars.

These and other objects Will become apparent from a study of this specification and the drawings which are attached hereto and are made a. part hereof and in which:

Figure l is an end view of the selector apparatus and the card file, showing the cards in normal position in the iile and the magnet in position adjacent the armatures.

Figure 2 is an end view of the apparatus of Figure 1, showing the magnet retracted and the selected card displaced.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the apparatus of Figure l, viewed from the `right of that iigure, but showing the card iile in an elevated condition 4with respect to the selector apparatus.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the shaft supports taken on the line .4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevation of the rack and pinion mechanism taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an elevation of the magnet, support and fulcrum mechanism taken substantially on the line -B ofFigure 3.

Referring now to Figure 1, the numeral l indicates a base member which hasa side wall 3 bent at 5 to receive one side of a card file. A second side wall l is formed with an outwardly directed flange or magnet guide 9. The side wall 3 is formed with a ledge I il for `supporting the left ends of the cards (Figures 1 and 2) as 'the ille is The ange 9 is disposed to' support the opposite ends of the cards. The rods 63 of the lilenormally support the cards but, as the le is inserted in the machinatthe cards come to rest with their ends supported on ledge I0 and ange 9 while the le is further l'owered until the rods 63 are supported on the members I2 of the machine.

l, as the le is placed inthe machine so that the The rods thus move out of the notches 8l in the cards, as shown in Figure 1. In a card selecting mechanism, a body for receiving the cards having a guide disposed adjacent one side thereof, said guide having a substantially horizontal surface, a plurality of cards each having an armature attached to one edge, means for positioning said cards in said body with said armatures disposed adjacent said guide, holding means operable to selectively hold all .but certain of said cards, a magnet, a support for said magnet, a control mechanism, means for pivotally connectingthe magnet to the control mechanism, means mounting said mechanism for sliding substantially parallel to said guide surface, toward and away from said armature, and actuating means mounted on the body and movable for pivotingr said magnet about said connection into `contact with said guide, said -connection and guide serving to transmit additional movement of said actuating means to slide said mechanism and magnet toward said armatures along said guide.

2. In a card selecting mechanism, a body for receiving the cards having a guide disposed adjacent one side thereof, said guide having a substantially horizontal surface, a plurality of cards each having an armature attached to one edge, means for positioning said cards in said body with said armatures disposed adjacent said guide,

holding means operable to selectively hold all but' certain of said cards, a magnet, a support for said magnet, a control mechanism, means for pivotally connecting the magnet to the control mechanism, means mounting said mechanism `forsliding sub stantially parallel to saidguide surface, toward and away from said armatures, and actuating means mounted on the body and comprising a rotatable pinion and a rack fixed to said magnet, said rack and pinion cooperating to pivot said magnet about said connection into contact with said guide` said connection and guide serving to transmit additional movement of said rack to slide said mechanism parallel to, and said magnet along said guide toward said armatures.

3. In a card selecting mechanism, a body for receiving the cards having a guide disposed adjacent one side thereof, said guide having a substantially horizontal surface, a plurality of cards each having an armature attached to one edge, means for positioning said cards in said body with said armatures disposed adjacent said guide, holding means operable to selectively hold all but certain of said cards, a magnet, a support for said magnet, a control mechanism including a slide, means for pivotally connecting the magnet to the slide, means mounting said slide for movement substantially parallel to said guide surface, toward and away from said armatures, actuating means mounted on the body and movable `for pivoting said magnet about said connection into contact with said guide, said connection and guide serving to transmit additional movementrof said actuating means to move said slide from its initial position substantially parallel to, and said magnet along the guide toward said armatures, and yieldable means for resisting the movement of the slide parallel to the guide and for restoring said slide to its initial position.

4. In a card selecting mechanism, a body for receiving the cards having a guide disposed adjacent one side thereof, said guide having asubstantially horizontal surface, a plurality of cards cach having an armature attached to one edge, means for positioning said cards in said body with said armatures disposed adjacent said guide, holding means operable to selectively hold all but certain of said cards, a magnet, a support for sa'i'd magnet, a control mechanism including a slide, means for pivotally connecting the magnet to the slide, said magnet having a normal, tilted position, means mounting said slide for movement tion, said connection and guideserving to transmit additional movement of said rack, in said one direction, to move said slide and magnet toward said arma-tures `along said guideyand means including said actuating means, lwhen operated in the other direction, for withdrawing said magnet and -slide along said guide until said slide is restored.

5. In a card selecting mechanism, a body for receiving the cards having a guide disposed adjacent one side thereof, said guide having a substantially horizontal surface, a plurality of cards each having an armature attached to one edge, means for positioning said cards in said body with said armatures disposed adjacent said guide, holding means operable to selectively hold all but certain of said cards, a magnet, a support for said magnet, a control mechanism including a slide, means for pivotally connecting the magnet to the slide, said magnet having a normal, tilted posif tion, means mounting said slide for movement substantially parallel to said guide surface, toward and away from said armaturesI actuating means, operable in two directions, comprising a pinion, and a rack iixed to the magnet above the connection, for pivoting said magnet about said 'connection into contact with said guide when operated `in one direction, said connection and guide serving to transmit additional movementof said rack, in said one direction, to move said slide and magnet toward said armatures along said guide, and means including said actuating means, when operated in the other direction, for withdrawing said magnet and slide along said guide until said slide is restored, said magnet being restored to its normal position upon additional movement of said actuating means in -said other direction.

6. In a card selecting mechanism, a body for receiving the cards having a guide disposed adjacent one side thereof, said guide having a substantially horizontal surface, a plurality of cards each having an armature attached to one edge, means for positioning said cards in said body with said armatures disposed adjacent said guide, holding means operable to selectively hold all but certain of said cards, a magnet, a support for said magnet, a control mechanism including a slide, means for pivotally connecting the magnet to the slide, means mounting said slide for motion substantially parallel to said guide surface, toward and away from said armatures, actuating means movable for pivoting said magnet about said connection into contact with said guide, yieldable means for resisting motion of said slide, said connection and guide serving to transmit additional movement of said actuating means to move said slide and magnet toward said armatures along said guide, and stop means for limiting the motion of said magnet toward said armatures.

7. In a card selecting mechanism having a base, a plurality of selectively settable, card selecting, projection locking bars mounted in. said .entremos ibase, :means forxselectively settingsaid bars, -a .aardV leuremovably mounted on lsaid base, a .plufi'ality of cards'each 4having alongitudinal axis andimounted. in .faeeetoeaoe' relation inv said ille, :means l.for *mounting said cards Yor Ymotion on .said :base :parallel with said longitudinal Lanes, 'when isaid .rile mounted thereon, each 'card yhating projections disposed adjacent .the .'oars `for.iengagen'ient .with theset barsand an arman ture attached .tonne edgegsaid. cards "being coded ier:motionfparalleltoLsaid axes bythe removal of `certain 'oi said projections, .the combination :ot'a magnetflravingiaipole, means orrnonnting the :magnet on :the ibase 'adj acerlt the armatures for'. movement relativethereto, means operatively "conneotedtolthemagnet for .tilting the pole thereof angularly Withrespeet to the armatures into `aA posi-tion; substantially .parallel thereto and in alignment therewith, and meansiinounted on the'base for'niovingsaidmagnet in asuostantially `'recztiunear path lwhich is substantially parallel to 'the longitudinal aries of the cards'to engageA saidf pole-With 'said armatures.

jln 'a fcard selecting mechanism having a base, l.a pluralityoi 'selectively settable, card se?- leoting projection lookingfiiars mounted in said 4base,1means forselectivlly setting said bars, a e'afd'rllc removably-mounted on sai-d base, a pluralityfoi` cardaeachhaving'a longitudinal axis and mounted in yifaoeto-tace relation in said file, means forfmountingisaid cards for motion on Ysaid base parallel with said longitudinal axes, when vsaid file is mounted thereon, each card having projections `disposed adjacent the bars for Uengagement with theset `bars and an arma- 'movable cards, from the .cards locked by the 1 bars, in'a rectilinear path which is substantially parallelto saidlongitudinal axes, :and means on thebase for'tliereafter tilting said magnetangularly with respect to the armatures of the locked -cards to move the cards-Withdrawn by the .magnet 'toapesition in which the longitudinal axes ofthe 'Withdrawn cards are disposed at an angle to theaxes of'the cards engaged by the bars.

fs 9. In va card selecting-,mechanism having a base, arplurality ofselectivel-y settable, cardfselecting, projection looking .bars mountedinlsaid base, means for selectively setting said bars,.-a card le .removably vmounted on saidbasepa plurality of cards each `having a longitudinal axis and mounted in faee-to-ace relation Iin .said file, means for mountingsaidcardslior motion onsaid baseparallel with saidlongitudinal axes, when said file is, mounted thereon, eachcard having projections disposed vadjacent the -bars for engagement with theset bars and'anfarma- 'ture attached to one edge, said'cards being-coded for motion parallel to said :axes by the .removal or" certain of vsaid projections, the combination of a magnet having apole and occupyinganinitial tilted position, means mounted on. said lease for tilting the magnet angul-arlywith respectto the ends ofthe cards to `position the polesub stantially parallel to and to align it with said armatures, means operably connected with the magnet ier .thereafter advancing the pole in a vtion, with saidpole out of parallelism With-the armatures, for tilting the Withdrawn cards to a position inwhich their longitudinal axesaredisposed at an angle to the axes of the .cards held by the OTTO VJ. TOEPPER.

Reterencesited in the leoii this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS .Number Name Date 2,002,8@5 Whitson May 28,1935 2,239,767 Jayne Jan. 13, 1942 2,331,471 l-lolleek Oct. .12, 1943 '2,495,490 Wiiitson Jan. 24, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date n 820,786 France Aug. 9, '1937 

